Grand dreams sotis died in the face of practicality. A system of pipes and tanks wasnt off the table, but a simple organization of the labs storage crates would go a long way. The supply of unrefined essences was dwindling, giving way to only refined essences in Theos stock. While it wouldnt be safe to dispose of those low-tier essences, it was easy enough to jam them all in a single [Dinsional Storage Crate] and forget about them for now. The process of organization had taken a few hours. The alchemist ran between the crates, his stills, and his ferntation barrels, targeting the most useful essences and modifiers.
From the perspective of an adventurer, [Anti-Mage], [Solidify], [Web], and [Aerosolize] were the most useful modifiers. For essences, restoration, and attribute-enhancents were the most valuable. Patrons might ask for other things, though. Stocking and organizing was about reducing the ti it would take from receiving an order and completing it. No order would take more than a day, though.
The [Lesser Plant Golem] sent a signal into the lodestone network, signaling that it was done tending the garden. It went through the list of orders it had, and found one, shambling off into the thin forests within Broken Tusk to find more reagents. Of the 3 [Lesser Copper Golems], Theo selfishly kept one near his lab. When the Elves arrive, hed have 10. It didnt hurt to make a good impression, even if that impression was one of aweso power.
Theo let out a heavy breath. When he felt anxious, he often busied himself with other things. Zarali had gently pushed him to upgrade his herbalism core, and it was ti to make that happen. He locked his eyes on the shrine to Drogramath in his lab, letting his gaze linger over the form of his deity. It was too much like a Dronon to deny the reality of gods. They were just people with more power than others. Reading between the lines, the alchemist understood what everything Khahar said ant. The true aning, not the cryptic junk he left on the surface.
The gods in the Pri Pantheon were all from Earth.
The thought of pledging his loyalty to so person back on that dood planet was disheartening. But ti changed a person. Even months could ease old wounds and dull the edges of a personality. 60,000 years would have altered them completely. So Theo left his lab, heading across the street to Zaralis enchanters workshop. She was often back by the late afternoon, having left Xolsas tower to tend to whatever work she was entertaining.
Theo, Zarali said as he let himself in. How do you feel about Elves? Are we certain they can be trusted?
Theyll sign the magic contract, Theo said. Sa as everyone else.
Oh, I would enjoy seeing an Elf ripped apart by a magic beast, Zarali said, sighing. Anyway, how can I help you?
Ti to upgrade this core, Theo said sullenly.
Zarali clapped her hands together, letting out a shriek of excitent. With one deft motion she threw the table in the rooms center aside, then snatched a rug from the ground and tossed it. Beneath were Drogramathi enchanting symbols arranged in a series of circles. In Drogramaths style, the symbols were written as stories. Short snippets about a Dronon conquering death, or Drogramath himself ascending to the Demonic heavens. What a hilarious contradiction.
This is a very simple spell, Zarali said. Well, it would be simple But Belgars [Drogramath Herbalism Core] was only at rare. We never had ti to upgrade it to legendary. So! We need to jump two rarity levels, which is more expensive.
Do you need money? Theo asked flatly.
Of course not, Zarali said, waving him away. Just stand in the center of the circle and lets go!
Hold on. Im not jumping in so demon circle just because you said so, Theo said, crossing his arms. How long is this going to put out for? What do I have to give?
When we did the ritual for Belgar, he wasnt out for more than a few minutes, Zarali said. What we have to give, as you say, is quite a lot of materials. Oh, my! Look at all this Drogramath-aligned tal we suddenly have. Convenient, isnt it?
Too convenient, Theo grumbled, moving into the circle.
He could leave his herbalism core at its current rarity, but his abilities would suffer. Since the constructs ability was tied to both alchemy and herbalism, he wasnt getting the most out of it. This was a necessary move, even if he didnt like it.
Take all the way to mythic, if you wouldnt mind, Theo said.
Zarali cackled, slapping her knee. Oh, good joke. Now, stand still. Let know if you experience any pain.
The pain was imdiate and mind-numbing. In a flash, it was as though Theos chest was filled with angry, flaming bees. But as quickly as it started, it ended. The room faded to black and the pain was gone. The alchemist found himself in a new room, not unlike that which he went to when talking to the Qavelli representative. A single, shadowy figure stood at the opposite end of the room. The swoop of the mans horns and swishing, thin tail gave him away as a Dronon.
I admit to so deception, the figure said with a shrug. He had a calming voice. Not what Theo was expecting. Not from a Demonic Lord. But the faithful are often easy to deceive.
Drogramath, Theo said. He didnt know whether to bow his head or spit in the Demons face. So, am I getting my new core? Or am I screwed?
The new core, I should think, Drogramath said. Ti is short. The realm of your Tarahek is growing too strong. An unintended twist that bore more fruit than I could have imagined. Glanthier, Parantheir, Zaul, Ulvoqor, UzXulven, Tworgnoth, Toruaun, and Khahar. Those are the realms you can trust for your next core. Select myself, UzXulven, and Khahar as your towns patrons, in that order, when you upgrade Broken Tusk next. Again. Ti is short.
Theos mind swirled. His superior mory would ensure he rembered every single word, but it struggled to understand the aning. Drogramath was nothing like he expected, and in an instant the eting was over. The alchemist didnt have ti to ask another question. The Demonic God flicked his hand and the room faded into nothingness.
He gasped for air, waking in a cold sweat in his bed.
Theo! Tresk shouted, slapping him across the face. Youve been asleep for ten years!
Shut up, Tresk. You stupid idiot, Luras said.
It was funny!
Aarok grunted his disapproval.
Soone bring up to speed, Theo said, his mind still reeling from the encounter with Drogramath.
Theo, Im so sorry, Zarali said.
Theo had ti to take stock of his surroundings. Tresk, Aarok, Luras, and Zarali were all crowded around his bed. Morning sunlight flooded through his window, casting them all in a halo of yellow light.
Zarali ssed up your ritual, Luras said, his eyes burning with the power of his Ogre Patron.
I didnt ss it up, Zarali said. I did exactly as He said.
Theo ignored their bickering and inspected his cores, finding that Drogramath kept up his end of the bargain.
[Drogramath Herbalist Core]
Legendary
Herbalist Core
Bound
3 Slots
Level 16 (25%)
[Herbalist Core] given to the descendants of Drogramath.
Effects:
5 Vigor
[Rare Material Handling]
While his friends argued about who ssed what up, the alchemist inspected the new skill attached to his herbalism core.
[Rare Material Handling]
Herbalism Skill
Rare
Allows the user to handle rare reagents without destroying them.
Effect:
So reagents are too gentle to be handled by normal people. This skill allows you to handle those reagents without destroying them by touch.
It was a skill to match his [Unstable Material Handling] skill, although he found no reagents he couldnt handle. That ant there were plants in the world he hadnt discovered yet.
Enough, Theo said, snapping out of his thoughts. The room went silent. It was a ploy by Drogramath, but he delivered. My core is upgraded, and thats the end. No more shouting, I have a headache.
I really didnt an to do it, Zarali said.
Tresk must have been reading Theos mind, or his emotions. She shot him a wide-eyed look, but kept her mouth shut. The Marshling knew that if he had a good reason to hide information, she wouldnt force the issue. The group talked, but Theo fell into his thoughts. His first real encounter with Drogramath had ended in a way he couldnt have expected. Where he expected a fearso creature he found a man.
Just a man, Theo thought.
The group let out a gasp of surprise as Tresk disappeared. Only a few heartbeats later, her voice filled his mind.
Teleport to .
Theo obeyed. The Dreamwalk flashed by, then he was standing on a hill. A chilly breeze blew from the north. Broken Tusk sprawled out in the distance to the south. Tresk knew exactly what he needed at that mont. Perspective.
Spill the beans, Tresk said.
Theo relayed the events through their communication skill. He spared no detail, making sure his companion knew he didnt feel in danger. The cold snapped away in an instant. Warmth like nothing he had ever felt washed over him. It was dry and inviting, as though part of an ancient family ho.
What are you going to do when you die, Khahar? Theo asked. His heart thumping in his chest like a drum. He stole a look at the Khahari leader, who smiled.
I dont know about you, but Im going directly to hell, Khahar said, grinning wider. Although, that strip club in the sky is sounding more appealing by the day.
Were there any strip clubs left? By the end, I an, Theo asked.
No. No there werent, Khahar said.
Whats a strip club? Tresk asked, keeping her voice to a whisper.
A place where nude won Khahar started.
So, you and Drogramath, Theo interrupted. I an Damn, is it even safe to talk aloud?
Around it is.
Youre working together? Theo asked. Where did you send Sulvan?
Antalis, Khahar said.
Theos brows knit tightly. It was now too much information to take in. Was it Drogramath, Khahar, or soone else that had a plan? And where did that plan go? A catastrophic event was comingan event they thought Theo could survivebut there had to be a plan. While the alchemist now knew Khahars true identity, it didnt seem to matter. With a deep breath, he stroked the egg at his side. It was always at his side, now. None of it mattered.
Didnt know you could live on the moon, Theo said, gesturing to the town below. Doesnt matter, though. Does it? Look at the harbor. People running around like little ants We dont even have any boats, but I can feel their excitent from here. Look! A refugee train. Weve been getting those often. Is it really coming together? Just like that?
Looks like it, Tresk said, finding a rock to sit on.
Rivers and Gronro have also seen an influx of citizens, Khahar said. The situation in Qavell is Horrible.
You could fix it all, right? Theo asked.
Ive done that before, Khahar said. It doesnt end well.
Theo nodded. Im good. Thought it would be worse when I finally saw that guy, but Im good. Still cant shake the feeling that Im a pawn, though.
You were a pawn, Khahar said. Soone orchestrated this entire scenario, but they didnt count on one factor. I can see a million futures. I discount the ones with the least likely probability. Whoever did this never expected a new Tarahek.
So Theos survival hinged on a fluke with Tresk. Sothing that shouldnt have happened, but it did. There were still more questions than answers, but it hardly mattered. The way forward was clear, and hed done everything he could to prepare. 66 days seed so short, looking back on it.
Doesnt matter, Theo said. We got work to do. You can go ho, Khahar.
Khahar shrugged. Id like to see the Elves one last ti before I leave.
Suit yourself, Theo said. Mind giving us a ride back to town? Would that be cheating?
Theo was standing with Khahar and Tresk in front of the lab. There was no spatial distortion when they moved. They were simply standing in one place, then another. No one even noticed them arrive. People just walked around them as they appeared. Like so many things before, the alchemist washed his hands of the situation. It wouldnt do to dwell on sothing he couldnt change. The right move was to work, making Broken Tusk better than it was before. More weapons, more people, more food A higher chance at survival.
Right. Ti to call a eting, Theo said. Thanks for the ride, Khahar.
My pleasure.
[Theo]: Administration staff, please report to the town hall eting room. This is not an ergency.
Always good to tell them its not an ergency. That always works, Tresk said.
Alise assembled her staff at a monts notice, cramming everyone in the small eting room. Aarok, Luras, Zarali, and Azrug were also there. Fenian had departed while Theo was unconscious. The staff was concerned, but Theo waved all concerns for himself away. Zaralis process worked, and the alchemist had more information on which realms to trust for the future. That was a big win, and he expressed that sentint to everyone.
Just glad youre not dead, Zarali said. She looked like she was going to be sick.
Well, it ended well, Theo said. I know Drogramath is an ally.
Im disappointed you ever thought otherwise, Zarali said, drawing herself up. In classic fashion, she recovered in monts.
Thats fine, Theo said, waving her away. Id just like a report from the administration staff on how were doing. Food, resources, trade deals. All that stuff.
Alise cleared her throat. Despite our original estimate of 200 citizens before the first day of the Season of Fire, were now expecting 300. At minimum. Without counting the Elves.
That would have impacted our food quotas, but Azrug has taken care of that. If you would, Lord rchant? Gwyn said.
I shoved a hot poker up the collective asses of Rivers and Daub, Azrug said with a shrug. Altered our original deal, so now we have wagon trains of dried food coming in. I got the food at a steal, so were attaching it to the free food initiative we started. Funny thing about Broken Tuskers, though.
No one is taking it, Alise finished. There are jobs enough for everyone, so everyone is working. Making a decent wage and buying their food. So theres two options they can take. Cheap dried food provided by the town, or expensive als prepared by the tavern.
But it was as important to be self-reliant. Throk had made that comnt before, and Theo couldnt agree more. The alchemist hated when systems were built without the idea of failure in mind. But it was a good start.
Do we have any trade deals with anything north of Gronro? Theo asked.
Several, Azrug said. If you want my opinion, we need that harbor to function. Were sitting on piles of resources with no way to trade them.
Once we do get boats, I can enchant them to move faster than anything else on the ocean, Zarali said.
The conversation devolved from there. Theo got what he wanted to hear. These check-in etings were too important, and he wanted to do them more often. Another scandal like the farm situation would be horrible. The alchemist sat and listened to their strategies, agreeing where it was appropriate and declining otherwise. It was the perfect salve to an unsavory event, leaving him feeling excited and confident. When they finally broke off, soti around midday, he went to inspect his town.
[Large Town]
Na: Broken Tusk
Owner: Kingdom of Qavell
Mayor: Theo Spencer
Faction: [Qavell]
Level: 19 (22.12%)
Core Buildings:
Alchemy Lab
Greenhouses (x6)
Blacksmith
Artificers Workshop
Large Farm
Windmill
Quarry
Stonecutter
House (x231)
Tannery
Leatherworker
Tavern
Adventurers Guild
Hotsprings
Sawmill
Mine
Slter
Enchanter
Ranch
Townhall
Butcher
Defensive Emplacents:
Chain Lightning (x12)
Frost Cone (x7)
Fireball (x10)
Firebolt (x25)
Upgrades:
[Stone Walls and Gates]
[Stone Roads]
[Turret Emplacents]
Effects:
[Troll Slaying]
[Coordinated Fire]
Current Resources:
Timber: 32,501
Stone Blocks: 15,000
tal: 20,000
Motes: 5,000
While the towns level hadnt made progress, that was part of their plan. They needed more citizens to make that work, and it was only a matter of ti before they had another flood of people. Theo consulted his mayoral interface to inspect the map. Alise pointed out a few areas they could expand easily, creating more land for hos. Purchasing land to the west, into the swamp, wasnt ideal. But there was plenty of land to the northeast. After that, they could expand from the harbor to the east, taking over the vast prairies. Xolsa needed to get his [Dungeon Engineer] core so they could do sothing about the [River Dungeon], which now sat north of the harbor.
Another notable thing to co out of the eting was that Aarok had purchased more weapons for their walls. Theo still wanted to get Sledge to work with Throk to create an automated mote-feeding system for the artifices, so that might be their next project. The old Marshling would moan about how he didnt want to do it, only to eventually cave. There was also the need to get rid of their resources. They were packed to the gills with all the important ones, more than they could ever spend repairing their walls and buildings. So of those resources were now being traded for dried food, but that was fine. Production was at an all-ti high.
Theo looked forward to the eting with Rivers and Daub, and Gronro-Dir. Whatever alliance they ford would form the basis of the southlands power, and their ability to fight whatever was coming. Azrug had expressed his plan to create an overland shipping operation, and he had a [General Store Seed Core] in hand. The young rchant Lord was reluctant to reveal this information, but Theo had expected it.
The truth is, Theo said, patting his egg. Seeing that guy took a weight off my shoulders.
The egg chirped in response.
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